As is generally well known, the square and hex shape of an outer surface of fasteners, such as nuts, screws and bolts, deforms during an extended use thus precluding use of well known female drive devices such as sockets, open end wrenches, ratchets and the like, due to excessive slippage, and requiring use of pliers to turn such fastener. The problem arises when such deformed fastener is located in an area with a limited access which prevents use of pliers or when the torque applied through the use of pliers is not sufficient to rotate the deformed fastener.
The presently available sockets and wrenches do not alleviate the problems associated with deformed fasteners.
As is further generally well known, municipal water systems utilize a network of subterranean shut-off utility valves which are generally located 3 to 4 feet below ground level and which are accessible from the ground level through a vertically disposed cylindrical conduit. Such cylindrical conduit is of a diameter adequate only to receive a valve wrench for engagement with a square nut of the valve stem which must be rotated in order to open and close such valve.
During extended use of rotating the nut in order to control water flow, the edges of the nut deteriorate resulting in somewhat of a rounded shape of the nut. Such rounded shape does not enable engagement with the square drive portion of the presently used valve wrenches sufficient to rotate the deformed nut and therefore does not allow the wrench to open and close the valve. When a valve with a rounded nut is encountered, the water flow is usually controlled at adjacent valve locations permitting use of the valve wrench. However, such situation increases costs due to time and effort required to locate such adjacently disposed valve and requires added time to reach such adjacently disposed valve.
Such time is generally not available in an emergency situation and results in excavation efforts sufficient to use tools and other means which are capable of turning a rounded nut. The need for excavation and subsequent restoration of the excavated area further increases project costs and may disrupt human and auto traffic.